Abstract: The present invention relates to a beam shifting element and to an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to optical storage media using in such a beam shifting element. According to the invention, the beam shifting element has at least a first optical element for deflecting an incoming light beam by a first angle and a second optical element for deflecting the light beam coming from the first optical element by a second angle opposite to the first angle, wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are optical elements with an adjustable deflection angle.

Abstract: An apparatus for high speed labeling of produce including a turret which carries label depositor arms and continuously rotates so that its fully extended tangential speed matches the produce conveyor speed. The label depositor arms are reciprocated along a predetermined path by a mechanical linkage. A supply of pressurized air and vacuum are selectively delivered to the label depositor arms to pick-up a print-on-demand label and adhere it to the produce. One or more rotating turrets are included within a system for high speed labeling. The system monitors a common shaft which drives a conveyor that moves multiple lanes of produce under corresponding turrets. A conveyor offset signal in combination with a printer offset control, allows the system to independently synchronize the high-speed labeling operation at each lane.

Abstract: A nail protector and method includes a cover portion dimensioned to fit over a nail of a digit to form a gap with the nail, and a bump formed on an underside of the cover portion and configured to contact skin adjacent to the nail without contact with the nail. A lateral portion is hingedly connected to the cover portion to create at least a partial enclosure for receiving the digit without passing over the nail. A biasing device is configured to secure and bias the at least one lateral portion against the digit. The biasing device extends in an opposite longitudinal direction from a distal end of the cover portion to support the cover portion and maintain the gap.

Abstract: An acoustic communication device includes a computer device having an acoustic transmitter and/or an acoustic receiver. A signal processing module processes sound signals such that the transmitter and/or receiver are employed to permit acoustic communication between computer devices using sound signals.

Abstract: A system and method for managing resources includes providing mutable entities having related data including triples, and listening for changes in the related data. A first construct is triggered in accordance with the changes in the related data to update the mutable entities.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a collection of memory cells includes storing binary data values and parity data values by associating binary values with a common adjustable characteristic parameter of a memory cell collection. Probability distribution functions for values of the characteristic parameter of the memory cell collection are read and constructed. Binary data values and parity data values stored in the memory cell collection are retrieved. Parity data for error detection and error correction is evaluated in the binary data values.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are provided for managing foreign holidays. The system includes a processor configured to receive email information relating to foreign countries that a user communicates with, calculate based on the email information a respective count for each foreign country, and compare the respective count to a threshold. The processor is also configured to offer the user an option to add foreign holidays corresponding to a particular foreign country to the computer application when the respective count for the particular foreign country exceeds the threshold, and offer the user an option to specify a different country than an actual originating country. The respective count is respectively calculated for the actual originating country and for the different country to allow consideration of both a home country as the different country and a visiting country as the actual originating country for a particular individual.

Abstract: A system for storing time series data in a database using round robin includes a user input interface and a round robin database file manager. The interface receives inputs specifying a time period and a sample rate for collection of delta samples. Each sample represents a difference between two subsequent values of the time series data. The manager accumulates the samples over the time period in accordance with the sample rate, calculates a field size for storing the samples for the time period based on a maximum one of the samples, and writes the delta values to the database using the calculated field size. The database is relatable to a plurality of records. Each record corresponds to a respective time period for delta sample collection and has an adjustable field size for delta sample storage based on a maximum delta sample value for the respective time period.

Abstract: A system for mounting a wireless antenna and equipment to a stealth communication tower in coastal areas and inland waterways, camouflaged as a sailboat. The Cellboat is retrofitted to securely and discreetly store wireless transceiver equipment, and an antenna is attached at the top of the mast. Access doors are disposed in the side of the Cellboat to provide access to the equipment for maintenance purposes. The Cellboat is stored at drydock, allowing for access and protection from flooding of the equipment. Alternatively, when the Cellboat is deployed in the water, the access doors will be located on the top deck of the Cellboat.

Abstract: A frame assembly is used to mount a screen. The frame assembly includes screen-perimeter members and frame-splice members. The splice members permit the perimeter members to be separated into segments.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to produce natural language interpretations of analytic operations in an automated manner, by associating with each analytic procedure a set of parameters that determine the interpretation of the resulting analysis.

Abstract: A toy doll system is provided including a self-pressurized fluid receptacle disposed within the doll having a first outlet valve and a second outlet valve operably connected to the receptacle. The receptacle includes a rigid housing member having an interior and a rigid housing cover including a plurality of apertures, wherein a resilient sheet-like member is disposed between the housing member and the housing cover for providing an airtight chamber for storing fluid under pressure between the resilient member and the housing cover. The doll includes first and second activators for manually opening first and second outlet valves, respectively, for providing tearing and wetting effects. A bottle is provided having a tip configured to be insertable into the doll's mouth opening for injecting fluid therein. As fluid is input between the resilient member and the housing cover, the resilient member stretches and expands into the housing member interior accordingly.

Abstract: A position sensor and method include a magnetic component, a first magneto-resistive sensor disposed in proximity to the magnet/coil; and a second magneto-resistive sensor disposed in proximity to the magnetic component and the first magneto-resistive sensor. The first magneto-resistive sensor and second magneto-resistive sensor are configured to sense changes in a stray magnetic field created by the magnetic component in accordance with a relative positional change between the magnetic component and the first and second magneto-resistive sensors.

Abstract: The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, and a data layer having a mark/space data structure with data arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, , wherein between neighboring tracks alternatingly a groove section or a land section without a groove is arranged. The tracks, groove sections and land sections may be arranged by providing a single spiral, two spirals, or four spirals on the optical storage medium. The optical storage medium is in particular an optical disc comprising a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure arranged above the data layer.

Abstract: A topography sensor and method include a probe configured to traverse a surface to determine a topography. A stray magnetic field is disposed in proximity to the probe. A magneto-resistive sensor is configured so that the stray magnetic field passing through it changes in accordance with positional changes of the probe as the probe tip traverses the surface.

Abstract: A method for fabrication of features for an integrated circuit includes patterning a first semiconductor structure on a surface of a semiconductor device, and epitaxially growing semiconductor material on opposite sides of the first semiconductor structure to form fins. A first angled ion implantation is applied to one side of the first semiconductor structure to dope a respective fin on the one side. The first semiconductor structure is selectively removed to expose the fins. Fin field effect transistors are formed using the fins.

Abstract: The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer with a mark/space structure arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a cover layer. One track comprises positive marks and a neighboring track comprises negative marks. The tracks are arranged in particular as spirals wherein one spiral contains a track with only positive marks and a neighboring spiral contains a track with only negative marks. The positive marks of a track and correspondingly the negative marks of a track are separated each by spaces. The optical storage medium is particularly a read-only optical disc and comprises a mask layer with a super resolution near field structure, wherein the tracks of the data layer are arranged as two spirals, one spiral consisting of positive marks only and the other spiral consisting of negative marks only.

Abstract: A method and system for speaker recognition and identification includes transforming features of a speaker utterance in a first condition state to match a second condition state and provide a transformed utterance. A discriminative criterion is used to generate a transform that maps an utterance to obtain a computed result. The discriminative criterion is maximized over a plurality of speakers to obtain a best transform for recognizing speech and/or identifying a speaker under the second condition state. Speech recognition and speaker identity may be determined by employing the best transform for decoding speech to reduce channel mismatch.